Bio

Pol van Boekel

Dutch referee Pol van Boekel used to be a professional football player. He played for 5 years for VVV. He received his FIFA Badge in 2008 and is a UEFA Category 1 referee.

career

He started taking charge of amateur matches when he was still a player and quickly made it through the C and B-lists until he reached the Eredivisie in 2006. A year later he got his FIFA badge.

Did you know

VVV

The fact that Van Boekel used to play for VVV, a team that returned to the Eredivisie - the Dutch highest league - for a year (2007 - 2008), can made some coaches a bit nervous. Insinuations about him being biased - his judgment might be influenced by the love for his former team - were sometimes made.

Insinuations especially by coaches and fans of local rival RODA JC. In 2008 after Van Boekel sent off a Roda player, his car and parts of his house were smeared in rubbish.

February 2009 Van Boekel canceled an Ajax goal for off-side in extra time in a match against Heracles. His assistant advised him to do so. Even the Football Federation (KNVB) thought it was a wrong decision and both Van Boekel and his assistant were more or less suspended. More or less, because they were simply taken off the next match they were scheduled to take charge of. We keep wondering why referees are being punished for mistakes. Mistakes are accidental, thus knowing he could be punished can never be a reason for a ref to not make one. And if a mistake is on purpose (then it's not a mistake) the referee should be banned for ever.

His dad, Jos van Boekel, was a national referee and a lines man in international matches.